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Barron County Forest for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Barron County Forest in Barron County: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: Aaron Carlson (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Barron County Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Barron County Forest
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Barron County Forest: record card
Barron County Forest: a county forest under the County Forest Law, located in Barron County. Region on record: the DNR Northern Region. Barron County Forestry Department writes the rules on the ground. The 16,305 acres on record put it 26th of the 30 county forests we list. Base town: Barronett, some 6 miles away. Wisconsin County Forest System is the larger unit around it.
From the source page (WI DNR Forest Tax report "Wisconsin County Forest Acres as of July 01, 2021" (total incl. special use lands)); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Barron County Forest
Barron County Forest deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is Barron, in the Central Farmland zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for that unit is 4,500. For black bear this is Zone D, where hounds are legal; 3,855 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 4, which had 34,997 spring permits in 2025. Barron County sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around Barron County Forest
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barron | Central Farmland | 4,500 | 987 | 3,479 | 2 |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Barron County Forest
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear D | With hounds | 1,100 target, 3,855 permits | 2 points | 931 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Wild turkey 6 | 6,001 spring tags (2025) | 23% success | 1,362 gobblers | — |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Ducks | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Geese | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 3/6 | Closed | Federally endangered |
Zones from the DNR zone layers as recorded in lands.json; quotas and bonus tags from the 2026 antlerless quota table; bear figures from the 2026 bear drawing summary and 2025 bear harvest; turkey from the 2025 spring turkey report; CWD and baiting lists from the DNR. Checked October 19, 2026.
Rules on the ground at Barron County Forest
Entry terms for Barron County Forest
State seasons plus county ordinances: that is the county forest formula. Call the forestry office for closed areas and stand rules.
Wisconsin rules that follow you to Barron County Forest
During any firearm deer season, everyone hunting except waterfowlers wears blaze orange or fluorescent pink on at least half the clothing above the waist, and on half of any cap. GameReg registration is due by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Barron County Forest: licenses and tags
Go Wild carries every license. For antlerless deer on public ground, use a public-access tag for the right DMU.
Access from the source page; closures from the DNR closed and restricted areas layer; stocking and dove fields from the DNR upland bird layers; rules from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations; prices from Go Wild. Checked October 19, 2026.
Game and bag limits at Barron County Forest
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, woodcock, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes, per the property record.
White-tailed deer
Black bear
Wild turkey
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Small game
Furbearers
Other legal game follows the Barron County season table below.
Species from the property record (General county forest hunting opportunities (DNR County Forests page; WCFA grouse/woodcock management areas). Bear/elk subject to zone.); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Every Barron County Forest season on one table
Private and public land share these dates. A state park, refuge or Fort McCoy can close sooner, so read the property page before you go.
| Animal | Segment | Scope | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth/disabled gun hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun deer (9-day) | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | December antlerless hunt | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Barron | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite Quail | Bobwhite quail | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Hungarian partridge | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Cottontail rabbit | Northern cottontail zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe Hare | Snowshoe hare | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| American Crow | Crow | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 24, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl hunt | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (resident) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (nonresident) | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Fox (red and gray) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote (hunting) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | North of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | South of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | North of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | South of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall 2026-Spring 2027 hunting regulations and season dates, checked October 19, 2026.
Barron County Forest described by the managing agency
Quoted as published; nothing here is our wording.
Part of the 30-county Wisconsin county forest system (more than 2.4 million acres, the largest public land ownership in the state).
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Barron County Forest and the land it belongs with
Parent property: Wisconsin County Forest System, which has 30 listed parts.
The rest of Wisconsin County Forest System
| Page | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | County forest | Douglas | 281,853 |
| Marinette | County forest | Marinette | 229,978 |
| Bayfield | County forest | Bayfield | 175,557 |
| Iron | County forest | Iron | 175,343 |
| Washburn | County forest | Washburn | 150,196 |
| Clark | County forest | Clark | 134,742 |
| Langlade | County forest | Langlade | 130,717 |
| Jackson | County forest | Jackson | 122,685 |
| Sawyer | County forest | Sawyer | 115,196 |
| Burnett | County forest | Burnett | 111,516 |
| Lincoln | County forest | Lincoln | 100,843 |
| Price | County forest | Price | 92,294 |
| Rusk | County forest | Rusk | 89,284 |
| Oneida | County forest | Oneida | 82,960 |
| Eau Claire | County forest | Eau Claire | 52,712 |
Harvest numbers for the country around Barron County Forest
2025 in Barron County: 3,247 bucks, 3,129 antlerless, 6,376 in all. Range since 2016: 4,936 to 7,098 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): Barron 676. The DNR sampled 155 deer from Barron County in 2025; 0 had CWD. 0 positives overall, from 2,338 deer. In 2025, Barron County produced 140 registered bears. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Barron County Forest alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Barron County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,247 | 3,129 | 6,376 |
| 2024 | 2,810 | 2,979 | 5,789 |
| 2023 | 2,394 | 3,063 | 5,457 |
| 2022 | 3,070 | 4,028 | 7,098 |
| 2021 | 2,667 | 3,520 | 6,187 |
| 2020 | 2,847 | 4,076 | 6,923 |
CWD samples, Barron County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 37 | 0 |
| 2025 | 155 | 0 |
| 2024 | 119 | 0 |
| 2023 | 136 | 0 |
| 2022 | 106 | 0 |
| 2021 | 119 | 0 |
Bears registered in Barron County
| Season | Bears | Boars | Sows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 153 | 67 | 86 |
| 2025 | 140 | 88 | 52 |
Deer from DNR Deer Metrics harvest history and the 2026 harvest to date; CWD from the DNR CWD summary; bears from the DNR bear harvest reports. Checked October 19, 2026.
Bed, fuel and a butcher near Barron County Forest
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barronett | Barron | 5.8 mi | — | 24,125 |
| Shell Lake | Washburn | 7.8 mi | 1,393 | 22,756 |
| Cumberland | Barron | 9.0 mi | 2,302 | 15,665 |
| Spooner | Washburn | 15 mi | 2,494 | 18,872 |
Season and zone pages by county: Barron County.
Who processes a deer from Barron County Forest
Where to ask about Barron County Forest
Licenses and questions for Barron County go through the DNR Spooner Service Center.
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 19, 2026. Call ahead.
Barron County Forest and nearby public ground
Barron County Forest at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 4,590 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake | Fishery area | 265 | 2.1 mi | north |
| Dummy Lake | Fishery area | 16 | 6.0 mi | southwest |
| Hickey Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 79 | 6.1 mi | south |
| Little Granite Lake | Fishery area | 3 | 6.4 mi | southwest |
| Duck Lake (Remnant) | Fishery area | 66 | 6.7 mi | southwest |
| Yellow River | Fishery area | 694 | 6.8 mi | south |
| Tuscobia Creek | Ice Age Trail area | 2 | 7.0 mi | east |
| Engle Creek Springs | Fishery area | 190 | 8.4 mi | south |
| Clam River | Fishery area | 2,557 | 12 mi | northwest |
| Sawyer Creek | Fishery area | 718 | 12 mi | north |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Public Land GIS, County Forests layer (polygon centroid) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting-hour table for Barron County Forest
Two tables cover the state, one for the Northern Area and one for the Southern Area, each for Zone A. West of 88 degrees you add 4 minutes per degree of longitude.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey table times from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shooting hours tables, plus the Zone E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.88 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Barron County Forest: nearest ranges
About 20 miles separates Barron County Forest from Owen-Anderson Rifle Range, the nearest public map range. Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
rifle on file
rifle, handgun, trap, skeet, shotgun on file
rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery, silhouette on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Barron County Forest
Does a Barron County Forest deer go into GameReg?
By 5 p.m. the following day, through GameReg; bears also go to a station or online the same way.
What paperwork does Barron County Forest need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Barron County Forest?
Bear Lake Fishery Area (2 miles), Dummy Lake Fishery Area (6 miles) and Hickey Creek Fishery Area (Remnant) (6 miles), each with a page here.
What does Barron County Forest belong to?
A piece of Wisconsin County Forest System.
Is Barron County Forest DNR, county or federal ground?
A county forest under the County Forest Law; the manager is Barron County Forestry Department.
Is Barron County Forest a big property?
16,305 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Barron County Forest?
Barron County; Barronett, the nearest town we cover, is 6 miles away.
Which species does the record give for Barron County Forest?
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, woodcock, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes, plus any other season open in the county.
What deer tags work on Barron County Forest?
It is in Barron (Central Farmland). This year the antlerless quota is 4,500.
How hard is a bear permit for Barron County Forest?
Zone D; hounds may be used there.
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Barron County Forest?
Zone 4. Success in 2025 was 24%.
Which goose zone is Barron County Forest in?
Ducks follow the Northern zone, Canada geese the Northern zone. Opening day for Northern Zone ducks is Sep 26.
Can I bait deer at Barron County Forest?
No bait or feed in Barron County. No CWD-positive wild deer are on record for the county.
Signing off on Barron County Forest
Gates, refuges and open areas at Barron County Forest are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · DNR: AcreageSummary · DNR: CountyForests · WCFA: county contacts; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Mark Nenadov (CC BY 2.0); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).